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MANILA, Philippines – A day before the Supreme Court hears the last round of oral arguments on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), a multisectoral group trooped to the Commission on Audit (COA) to renew calls for the agency to look into DAP projects.

In their letter to COA chair Grace Pulido-Tan, the #Abolishpork Movement – led by sister Mary John Mananzan and University of the Philippines professor Judy Taguiwalo – said:

“While DAP claims to be an economic stimulus program, several of the projects included in the DBM submissions could hardly be considered as having a positive impact on economic growth. Too many items appear to be in line with presidential pork spending and as such are very vulnerable to corrupt practices like those that attended the congressional pork or PDAF.”

The group urged COA to scrutinize the following, among other released under the program:

P5.432 billion Department of Agrarian Reform funds for the compensation of landlords

P1.819 billion Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process funds for so-called peace projects related to seemingly questionable peace pacts such as the Government of the Philippines-Cordillera People's Liberation Army agreement (2011)

P5.5 billion allocated for “various infrastructure projects,” usually quick-disbursing projects below P40 million and often upon recommendation of elected officials (2011)

P6.5 billion “LGU support fund” of the Department of the Interior and Local Goverment and the Department of Budget and Management, supposedly for “LGU’s requiring financial assistance to implement projects under a prescribed menu” (2011)

P8.592 billion Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Transition and Investment Support Plan that covers such general goals as the “creation of enabling environment for PPP towards equitable growth, improvement of public safety and security, cleansing the electoral system” (2011)

P250 million Performance Challenge Fund that claims to be a “People Powered Community Driven Development” project which could just really be pork masquerading as a poverty alleviation program (2011)

The DAP rose into public consciousness after Sen Jinggoy Estrada revealed in a privilege speech in September 2013 that senators were offered P50 million each in exchange for the conviction of former Chief Justice Renato Corona. (READ: Jinggoy: P50M for each convict-Corona vote)

The #abolishpork movement's letter to COA comes months after COA released its report on that misuse of lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

The report, coupled with revelations by whistleblowers tagging Janet Lim Napoles as the alleged mastermind of the scam, triggered a nationwide outrage against the PDAF, pushing the President to abolish the system. (READ AND WATCH: Pork Tales) –Angela Casauay/Rappler.com

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Welcome to Rappler, a social news network where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for social change. Rappler comes from the root words "rap" (to discuss) + "ripple" (to make waves).